System and method for managing intellectual property

• US 7,797,254 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Scott M., Sherwood, Amy, Arena, Christopher M., Stevens, Michael Charles, Short, Shannon M., Overcash, Steven, Meadows, Vernon, Beckham, Carol T., Van Ehrlich, Mary, Sherman, JoAnn M., Baker, LaVeria, McLendon, Martin L., Jaffe, Adam, Bishop, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/290,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for intellectual property management. In an embodiment, a system includes an intellectual property asset inventory system to manage an inventory of intellectual property assets. A product inventory system manages an inventory of products, where the inventory of products correspond to a plurality of products and one or more of the products of the plurality of products are associated with one or more of the intellectual property assets of the plurality of intellectual property assets. A marketing management system manages a plurality of marketing projects, where one or more of the marketing projects of the plurality of marketing projects are associated with at least one of (i) one or more products of the plurality of products, and (ii) one or more intellectual property assets of the plurality of intellectual property assets.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of managing marketing of a plurality intellectual property assets, the method comprising:

identifying, through the computer, at least one potential customer for at least one of the intellectual property assets, the intellectual property assets comprising copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets;

generating, through the computer, a marketing project plan for the identified at least one intellectual property asset based on a template plan and on the at least one identified customer;

receiving, through the computer, intellectual property data associated with one of the intellectual property assets; and

accessing, through the computer, product data describing a plurality of products, at least one of the plurality of products being related to the one intellectual property asset;

wherein the at least one potential customer is identified based on the product data and the intellectual property data.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 having further computer-readable instructions for performing the method of managing marketing of a plurality of intellectual property assets, the method further comprising:

identifying, through the computer and using the product data and the intellectual property data, at least one additional product in the plurality of products that is similar to the product related to the one intellectual property asset; and

identifying, through the computer and using the identified additional product and the similar product, at least one potential customer for the one intellectual property asset.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein accessing product data further comprising:

searching for the product data using an internet search engine accesible through the computer.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein accessing product data further comprising:

accessing, through the computer, product data describing a plurality of products, at least a portion of the plurality of products being produced by an entity other than an owner of the one intellectual property asset.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 having further computer-readable instructions for performing the method of managing marketing of a plurality of intellectual property assets, the method further comprising:

accessing a product database containing product data describing a plurality of products.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 having further computer-readable instructions for performing the method of managing marketing of a plurality of intellectual property assets, the method further comprising:

accessing a product database containing product data describing a plurality of products, the database indexed by at least one of product classification, product market, product marketing strategy, or competitor.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the template plan comprises a plurality of tasks including the tasks of (a) conducting initial research, (b) conducting market research and analysis, (c) completing and approving a pre-transaction report, (d) developing a marketing plan and package, (e) selling product, (f) negotiating contract, (g) completing and approving transaction report, (h) executing contract, (i) setting up maintenance plan, and (j) closing out project.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tasks associated with a predefined duration, a projected start date, and a projected finish date.